The sitting president, Nayib Bukele, has sidestepped constitutional limits to run for a second six-year term and is widely expected to win. A November 1 opinion poll by CID Gallup showed his approval rating at 90%, the highest among a dozen of Latin American leaders.
Bukele's running mate, Vice President Felix Ulloa, promised that the government would continue its controversial war on gangs and violent crime, which has drawn accusations of human rights violations but also allowed the small Central American country to mark 500 days without homicides in December.
The Bukele administration has also been criticized for perceived gerrymandering after it cut the number of municipalities by almost six times to 44, wiping out the advantage for smaller parties that will run against the ruling New Ideas party in the legislative race.